Typewriting-machine



J. A. B. SMITH.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

APPUCATION FILED JULY 8,19I9. RENEWED OCT. I3, 1920- 1,378,627. Patented y 17,1921.

JOHN DOE BLANK s1.

NEW YORK NM 58 2 T0 BLANK WATER C0. Dr. osmcu c N MD RETURN wlm cncc 2 1F You a RECEIPT RETURN ms 3 ION A150 M 5 PRE5ENT-ME PPEVWUS bvlvavnu! TUTAL DISGJUNT NE mvuz REA 7 LIZ \2 I2 mam 2:322 m2 2J3 m9 3 m9 known as front-strike machines.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE A. B. SMITH, F STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSZGNOB- TO UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. L, A COEEPQEATEON OF DELAWARE.

'rYrnwnrrrue-iaacnrnn Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 17, 1921.

Application filed July 8, 1919, Serial No. 309,435. Renewed October 13, 1920. Serial No. 418,?49.

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssn A. B. S ITH, a citizen of the United States, residing in Stamford, in the county of Fairficld and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewrit ing-Machines, of-which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the paper-carrying devices of typewriting machines, particularly those having round platens and of the objects of the invention i to improve the means for typing entries upon electric light-bills, gas-bills and the like, and particularly. to facilitate the insertion and removal of the'bills and the making of carbon copies thereof. l

Heretofore the use of typewriters for making outbills of this character has not been found altogether satisfactory because another thereon, andthis has made it necessary for the bill to be carried around the platen by the usual feed-rolls which are run thereon, thus entailing considerable labor and attention in placing the bill under control of the feed-rolls, and'subsequently releasing it therefrom.

In order to overcome these difficulties, I have contrived to introduce the bill into the machine andlocate it at the typing position by a simple operatiomand' provide simple means for producing carbon copies of a succession of bills upon a single record-sheet, and in this way have made it feasible to type bills of this character much more rapidly than heretofore found practicable, and so rapidly that-the typewriter may successfully displace the pen in preparing these bills.

At the'front of the platen, I place an insertion-plate for locating the bill, which is not introduced at the back of the platen as heretofore, but is inserted at the front therealso inserted.

. crosswise of the bill, and the operator also slides the bill up until its top edge slips under yielding clip against a gage provided at the top of the insertlon-plate. The bill is now ready to type inasmuch as said gage is in such position that the bill is in correct typing position, considered from top to bottom thereof. A left-hand gage for-the bill may also be provided upon said insertionplate, so that the operator needs only toslip in the bill at the front, and then slide it along the plate so far as it will go to the left and the top.

Other features and advantageswill hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a perspective view of an Underwood typewriting machine, showing my invention as applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of the same, showing the parts with record-sheet being inserted. t

Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the bill.

Fig. l is a perspective view of the alining plate.

Fig. 5 nections between the handle for swinging the alining plate and the handle itself.

Fig. 6 is a face view of a bill-head.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic perspective of a bill-head and a record-sheet and the intervening carbon-sheet when in writing position upon the platen. v A record-sheet l0 and carbon-sheet 11 are usually inserted simultaneously by passing them down, from the rear, over the usual papentaole l2 and beneath the platen 13, so that hey come up in front of the platen past the wings-sales 14.- at the-printing line, and are bent rearwardly by the paper-fingers 15, which are slidably and resiliently mounted as usual upon the cross-bar 16. In being thus inserted, the record-sheet 10 and carbon-sheet 11 are passed behind an alining and retaining plate or board 17, which stands at the front of the platen above the printing line, and'which is adapted to be is dissected perspective of the con-' swung away from the platen, by rotating the shaft 18, to which it is fast, a will be described below. This swinging out of the plate 17 is done at this time because the record-sheet is only held by the paper-fingers 15 at substantially its outer margins, with the result that it tends to belly up in the center and catch on the lower edge of the plate 17.

Beit'ore inserting the carbon-sheet 11 and record-sheet 10, the usual front and rear teed-rolls 19 and 20 may be cast off (if desired) by depressing the usual finger-piece 21 to the position shown in Fig. 2, said finger-piece being effective through the usual link 22, which is adapted to turn the cast of'f shaft 22. After the recordsheet 10 and carbon-sheet 11 have been carried upwardly, until their leading edges are above and behind the lower edge 24 of the plate 17, the latter is swung backwardly to its normal position, in which it stands advantageously very close to the platen, but yet is clear of the platen, so that the recordsheet and carbon-sheet move readily if the platen is rotated after the feed-rolls are restored, as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 3. l

W hen the parts are in the Fig. 3 position, a bill-head 25 may be inserted downwardly in front of the platen by first carrying its lower edge below the wing-scales 1 1, which serve to guide .it clear of the ribbon (not shown), and then the bill-head is slid upi I wardly upon. the alining plate 17, so that its upper end catches under fingers or retaining clips 26, which may be in the form of spring fingers soldered to the back oi the plate 17, and curving over in front of it. There are bends 27 at theupper end, serving as leading-edge gages for the inserted bill-head 25. There may be one of the clips 26 near each end of the plate 17, which may be of substantially the width of the bill-head 25. To facilitate the insertion of the bill-head, one end of the plate 17 (herein shown as the right-hand end) may be left open, so that the bill-head may he slid in from the right under the fingers 26 and alined against a turned-up'edge 28 at the left-hand edge ot the alining plate which serves as a side gage for the bill-head; The bill-heads, especially adapted to be used in this manner, are of the kind for use by public utility companies which comprise only asingle entry. They are provided with a relatively large heading which occupies a space 29, the heading and debtors name being often printed wholly or in large part by an addressograph or machine of that type. The bill also comprises a detachable coupon 30, separated by a perforated line 31 from the main part of the bill-head.

The bill-head shown herein is designed so that all the typewritten entries thereon may be entered on a single line near the bottom of the bill, said entries comprising in a column 32 the date of the bill, in column the present reading of the meter, in column 34 the date of the present reading, in column 35, the amount of the previous reading, and, in column 36, the difference between columns 33 and 35, namely, the consumption. The bill also comprises a space or column 37, which shows the total amount due, a column 38, showing the discount, a column 39, showing the total net, less the discount, and a final column which covers the coupon 34 and repeats the net total item of column It will be observed that the bill is adapter to be inserted when the typewriter is at the right-hand end of its travel, in which position the left-hand edge of the bill, compris ing the column may be substantially clear of the usual ribbon mechanism, thus avoiding any accidental entanglement with it. When the bill-head has been inserted in this manner, the appropriate items described above are typed in the various columns. The wing-scales 14L confine the low .r margin of the bill during the typing operation. \Vhen the last entry has been typed, the carriage may be returned to the right by actuating the usual line-space-lever ll), to actuate the line-space-wheel ll, so that the platen is turned the distance of one line-space, thus advancing the record-sheet 10 and carbon sheet 11 at theusual travel of the carriage. This leaves the carriage at its right-hand end, and, as soon as the typed bill-head has been removed, the carriage is in position to insert another bill-head which is adapted to be written upon in the manner. To enable the typed bill-head to be readily removed, the alining plate 17 may comprise a cut-away portion 42 at the top, to permit the finger of the typist to readily seize the typed bill-head and remove it.

To enable the mechanism to be attached to any machine of standard construction, the shaft 18, upon which the alining plate is carried, is shown as journaled in ears which are fast upon a plate or braeke adapted to fit upon the usual cover-plate l5 oi the Underwood sl1iltframe, and held thereto by a thumbscrew 4 5, which is adapted to pass through the usual screwopening 4:6, and be threaded into the usual thread 47. thus replacing the usual screw" which holds the cover-plate 45 on. The shaft 18 is adapted to be rotated by a piece 48, having a flat-sided opening l9 adapted to fit over the flattened end 50 or the shaft 18, and to be held thereto by a screw 51, threaded into an opening 52 in said shaft. V

The shaft 18 is normally held in such a position that the alining plate 17 keeps its toe or lower edge at just clear of the platen. and, for this purpose, the shaft is provided 7 with a kerf 53, into which a rounded key 54 is pressed by means of a spring 55 of a com- 'mon type. There may be a spring of this kind extending between each of the two ears 43 upon each of the brackets 44. To enable the alining plate 17 to be adjustable and 'yieldingly held in place, it is provided with a pair of slots 56,. forming depressions through which screws 5f7 are adapted to be threaded into brackets 58, fast to small brackets 59 slidable uponthe rod or shaft 18. The brackets 59 each comprise apair of ears 60, between which lies a spring 61 adapted to hold a key 62 yieldingly within the kerf 53.

It will be observed that the bill-heads 25 are not line-spaced at all, and that the linespace mechanism is effective independently upon the record-sheet-10 and carbon-sheet 11, thus enabling the record-sheet to be of any desired standard sizesuitable for binding up. In order to properly locate the entries upon the record-sheet 10, there may be provided the usual adjustable side gage 63 upon the paper-table 12. To guide the record-sheet 1O upwardly, as it comes out from under the paper-fingers 15, the paperfingers are provided with deflecting plates 64:, which are adapted to curve the record-' sheet upwardly behind the shaft 18. The record-sheet 10 is usually materially larger than the bill-head 25, and, for convenience in alining the carbon-sheet with it, the carbon-sheet 11 is usually of the same width as the record-sheet.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: a

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen and a rear paper-table, of line-spacing devices adapted to rotate said platen, to carry a recordssheet past the printing point at the front of the platen, a collating-board in front of the platen and above it, comprising a clip to hold a work-sheet thereon, and a device for tilting said collating-board to enable the record-sheet to pass beneath it when inserted from behind the platen.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination witha revoluble platen and a rear paper-table, of line-spacing devices adapted to rotate said platen, tocarry a record-sheet past the printing point at the front of the platen, a collating-board in front of the platen and above it, comprising a clip to hold a work-sheet thereon, an edge gage uponsaid board, a shaft forming the support upon which said board is mounted, and journals for said shaft adapted to normally hold the board with its lower edge adjacent the platen, but adapted to permit it to be tilted away from the platen far enough to platen and above it, a side gage upon said board, the latter provided with means whereby the sheet may be gaged by its leading edge and held upon the board to enable a single line to be written thereon, means for supporting said board, and a connection between said board and said supporting means adapted to normally hold the board adjacent the platen, so that the work-sheet upon it will lie flat upon the platen at the printing point, said means adapted to permit the board to be swung away from the platen to facilitate the passage of the record-sheet behind it.

4. In a typewriting machine, the co1nbination with a revoluble platen and a rear paper-table, of line-spacing devices adapted to rotate said platen, to carry a record-sheet past the printing point at the-front of the platen, a collating-board in front of the platen and above it, comprising a clip to hold a work-sheet thereon, brackets for supporting said board, a platen frame in which the platen is journaled, a thumb-screw for each bracket adaptedto' hold its bracket to the frame, and a rod mounted in said bracket-s adapted to permit the collatingboard to be swung away from the platen, to enable the record-sheet to pass beneath it when-inserted from behind the platen.

5. The combination with a revoluble platen and a paper-table behind it, of front and rear feed-rolls to run upon the platen, a short collating-board adapted to hold a. bill terminating above the feed-rolls, and a line-space mechanism adapted to advance a record-sheet held by the feed-rolls while the bill is held by the board.

6. The combination with a revoluble platen and a paper-table behind the platen, of front and rear feed-rolls extending across the length of the platen and adapted to hold a work-sheet upon the platen, a collatingboard comprising a clip to hold a bill inserted from the front and terminating aboves, the feed-rolls, and line-space mechanism adapted to advance a record-sheet held by the feed-rolls while the bill is held by the board.

7. The combination with a revoluble platen and a paper-table behind it, of front and rear feed-rolls to run upon the platen, a short collating-board adapted to hold a bill terminating above the feed-rolls, a linepace mechanism adapted to advance a record-sheet held by the feed-rolls while the bill is held by the board, clips upon said board for so holding the bill and forming a leading gage for the bill, and a side gage upon the board for the bill.

8. The combination with a platen and 5 types to strike on the front thereof, of means to locate a bill relatively to the printing line and hold it there while a line is being typed thereon, comprising a plate or board extending up from the front upper side of the platen and having a gage at the top thereof in position to gage a sheet for the typing of a single line upon the bottom margin of the sheet, so that the sheet may be first inserted downwardly in front of the platen and then passed upwardly to typing position against said gage, and also comprising means below the printing line to confine the sheet at its bottom portion while permitting its introduction downwardly in front of the platen, and also comprising sheet-clipping means brought into use by passing the sheet up against the gage.

9. The combination with a platen and types to strike on the front thereof, of means to locate a bill relatively to the printing line and hold it there while a line is being typed thereon, comprising a plate or board extending up from the front upper side of the platen and having a gage at the top thereof in position to gage a sheet for the typing of a single line upon the bottom margin of the sheet, so that the sheet may be first inserted downwardly in front of the platen and then passed upwardly to typing position against said gage, and also comprising means below the printing line to confine the sheet at its bottom portion while permitting its introduction downwardly in front of the platen, and also comprising sheet-clipping means brought into use by passing the sheet up against the gage, and a side gage for the sheet upon said board.

10The combination with a platen and types to strike on the front thereof, of means to locate a bill relatively to the printing line and hold it there while a line is being typed thereon, comprising a plate or board extending up from the front upper side of the platen and having a gage at the top thereof in position to'gage a sheet for the typing of a single line upon the bottom margin of the sheet, so that the sheet may be yfirst inserted downwardly in front of the platen and thenpassed upwardly to typing position against said gage, and also com prising sheet-clipping means brought into use by passing the sheet up against the gage, and means for independently line-feeding a record sheet inserted between said platen and said board.

11. The combination with a platen and types to strike on the front thereof, of means to locate a bill relatively to the printing line and hold it there while a line is being typed thereon, comprising a plate or board extending up from the front upper side of the platen and having a gage at the top thereof in position to gage a sheet for the typing of a single line upon the bottom margin of the sheet, so that the sheet may be first inserted downwardly in front of the platen and then passed upwardly to typing position against said gage, and also com? prising sheet-clipping means brought into use by passing the sheet up against the gage, and means for independently line-feeding a record sheet inserted between said platen and said board, said board being mounted for movement away from the platen to facilitate manipulation of the record sheet.

12. The combination with a platen and types to strike on the front thereof, of means to locate a bill relatively to the printing line and hold it there while a line is being typed thereon, comprising a plate or board extending up from the front upper side of the platen and having a gage at the top thereof in position to gage a sheet for the typing of a single line upon the bottom margin of the sheet, so that the sheet may be first inserted downwardly in front of the platen and then passed upwardly to typing position against said gage, and also comprising sheet-clipping means brought into use by passing the sheet up against the gage, means for independently line-feeding a record sheet inserted between said platen and said board, and a rock-shaft upon which said board is mounted for swinging away from the platen, said board being adjustable along said rockshaft.

13. The combination with a platen and types to strike on the front thereof, of means to locate a bill relatively to the printing line and hold it there while a line is being typed thereon, comprising a plate or board extending up from the front upper side of the platen and having a gage at the top thereof in position to gage a sheet for the typing of a single line upon the bottom margin of the sheet, so that the sheet may be first inserted downwardly in front of the platen and then passed upwardly to typing position against saidgage, and also comprising sheet-clipping means brought into use by passing the sheet up against the gage, means for independently line-feeding.

a record sheet inserted between said platen and said board, and a rock-shaft upon which said board is mounted for swinging away from the platen, said board being adjustable along said rock-shaft, and also be ing mounted for up-and-down adjustment upon said rock-shaft.

14. The combination with a platen and types tostrike on the front thereof, of means to locate a bill relatively to the printing line and hold it there while a line is being typed thereon, comprising a plate or lJOQI'ClGXlZBIKlHIg up from the front upper side of the platen and having a gage at the top thereof in position to gage a sheet for position against said gage, and also comprising sheet-clipping means brought into use by passing the sheet up against the gage, and means for independently line-feeding a record sheet inserted between said platen and said board, said board being mounted for adjustment both up and down and longitudinally of the platen.

15. The combination with a platen and types to strike on the front thereof, of means tolocate a bill relatively to the printing line and hold it there while a line is being typed thereon, comprising a plate or board eX- tending up from the front upper side of the platen and having a gage at the top thereof in position to gage a sheet for the typing of a single line upon the bottom margin of the sheet, so that the sheet may be first inserted downwardly in front of the platen and then passed upwardly to typing position against said gage, and also comprising sheet-clipping means brought into use by passing the sheet up against the gage, means for independently line-feedin a record sheet inserted between said p aten and said board, and means for guiding said record sheet around the platen. v

16. In a front-strike typewriting machine having a revoluble platen and a letter-feeding carriage therefor, the combination of a sheet-adjusting plate or tablet at the front side of the platen and extending up from above the printing line, said plate having means for clipping and gaging the top edge of a sheet that may terminate short of feedrolls which run on the under side of the platen, means below the printing line for holding back the sheet by its bottom margin during the typing operation, but permitting the sheet to be introduced bottom end first in front of the platen and raised along said plate to gage its top edge, said plate separated from the platen to permit the passage of a record sheet around the'platen to be held by said bottom rolls, and means to return the carriage to position for beginning the writing of a new line; said carriage-returnin means connected to means for rotating the platen to line-space the record sheet upon said platen independently of the bill sheet which may be retained upon said tablet during the return of the carriage.

17. In a front-strike typewriting machine, he combination with a revoluble platen, of a plate or tablet extending upwardly from above the printing line on the platen and having means whereby a worksheet may be simultaneously gaged and clipped, means being provided below the printing line for holding back the bottom margin of the work-sheet, but permitting the introduction of the work-sheet bottom first preparatory to slipping it up over said plate for gaging it by its top edge, said plate separated from the platen to permit a record sheet to advance between the platen and the tablet, and means to cooperate with the platen to line-space the record sheet independently of the work-sheet.

18. The combination with a revoluble platen, of means to feed a record sheet around the platen, line-space mechanism for the platen, and means independent of the platen for supporting a work-sheet in position to be typed in its bottom margin, said supporting means inclusive of a tablet in front of the platen and extending upwardly from above the printing line and provided with means for clipping the sheet and gaging it by its top edge, and means below the printing line for holding the bottom margin of the work-sheet butpermitting the sheet to be introduced bottom portion first and then adjusted up to position on said tablet.

JESSE A. B. SMITH. lVitnesses CATHERINE A. NnwnLL, EDITH B. LIBBEY. 

